Community July 25
This respect includes a proper esteem for our brothers and our Order in conversation with others (Const. 19.13).
“But if . . . you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in their place and have come to share in the rich root of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. . . . consider that you do not support the root; the root supports you” (Rm 11:17-18). The wild olive shoot is the unbeliever called to participate in the salvation of Christ that is rooted in Judaism. Because the pagan is grafted on, his or her new status is a gift of God, which the person should always recognize and, therefore, remain humble about. The life of the graft and the life of the trunk are the same from that moment on. This image can illuminate the situation of the confrere in the religious community. Once incorporated into the community by his profession of vows, the confrere´s identity and destiny are identified with those of the community. What the confrere was before entering is now animated by the community. What he becomes because of his entering is the fruit of his participation in the community. The confreres together are the sacred space of the encounter with God and the flourishing environment of personal development. It is the same sap, the grace of the charism, that arises in and enlivens each one. To wound a branch is to wound the whole tree. To injure another is to injure oneself. So, the discretion observed about the Order and the confreres in conversation with others outside the community is an expression of humility and gratitude and act of self-respect.
Don't spit in the air, or else the saliva will fall back on you. (Bakusu)
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